GarageGabs

 

Not much to say about LeBron last night.  Simply one of the most amazing playoff performances in NBA history.  James was already a star…..he is now officially a SUPERSTAR.  James put up 48 points, including the last 25 for Cleveland, and 29 of the last 30.  These were not a bunch of “I’m gonna get fouled and hit 2 free throws” type scenarios either.  James hit clutch shot after clutch shot, including dunks, layups, fall away three pointers, and a ton of other jumpers.  Each one was huge as he was either tying up the game, pushing the Cav’s ahead, or getting them back in the game.  This performance was legendary and will be remembered forever.  Oh yeah, James’s performance gave Cleveland a 3-2 lead over the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Cleveland 109 Detroit 107 (2 OT)

 

Click the photo of Big Shot Bob to play.

This is perhaps the best take I’ve ever read on not only the Spurs/Suns, but the current state of the NBA as well:

Common Sense Vs. The NBA Rulebook (ESPN.com: Page 2)

The Suns are off and running building a 24-13 1st quarter lead against the Spurs. Just what the doctor ordered, a feisty crowd and a fast start. Shawn Marion is leading the way with 11 first quarter points, and believe it or not the Spurs are having trouble countering the Suns small lineup thanks to no Robert Horry. Go figure.

*Update* Phoenix goes into the half with a 44-33 lead. San Antonio does appear to be adjusting with a lot more movement on both offense and defense. Shawn Marion leads the Phoenix with 20 points and 11 rebounds, including his last 7 shots in a row. On a side note, how much fun would it be to play with Steve Nash? The guy is amazing at breaking people down off the dribble and then making an insane pass to the perfect guy. Also, if all you saw was Shawn Marion’s shooting style do you think you’d pick him in a game of pickup basketball?

*Update* A bit of a chess match going on in the 3rd quarter as the Spurs have tightened things up 62-56. San Antonio got within 4 early in the quarter by constantly feeding Tim Duncan, bu the Suns adjusted by quickly doubling Duncan forcing the Spurs to hit open jumpers. Things are getting a little chippy now as the pressure builds. Leandro Barbosa has 5 fouls. Kurt Thomas is doing an admirable job filling in for Stoudemire, but good god man, cut to the basket on those pick and rolls.

*Update* It’s final, San Antonio 88 Phoenix 85- Not sure why Mike D’Antoni decided to remove Kurt Thomas from the game just as he was becoming seriously effective.  The Suns finished up 1-11 from the field without Thomas on the floor.  The game was won on two plays.  Phoenix couldn’t get the ball in bounds underneath their own basket….San Antonio stole the inbounds and tied the game up on the ensuing possession.  Bruce Bowen put them up for good with a 3 from the right corner.  Phoenix could never recover.  A really sad way for this game to end as the Suns led the entire way and played some pretty inspired basketball for about 46 minutes.  Kurt Thomas finally began to cut to the basket on pick & rolls late in the 4th quarter and picked up 2 buckets and a free throw for his efforts….I REALLY don’t understand why Phoenix went away from this.  It left them scrambling and confused on defense as well….just really bad coaching in my opinion, I hope one of the media-heads (or D’Antoni himself, he’s really good for taking blame) points this out, I felt it was pretty obvious.  After watching this game, it’s hard to imagine how the Spurs ever even hung with a Suns team that includes Amare Stoudemire.  I wouldn’t call this series over, but the Suns will be hard pressed to win back to back games.  Game 6 is going to be huge.  If they can get this thing back to Phoenix….then maybe, just maybe, they can pull this out.  Really should have won tonight.

 

In the 4th quarter of a closeout game you’ve really gotta put a body on playoff veterans.  The Utah Jazz have only one truly tested playoff vet in Derek Fisher.  Golden State never really guarded him.  Fisher dropped in 20 points, including 4-5 from deep, and hit some huge baskets down the stretch as the Warriors let another winnable game get away from them.

Let’s be honest about this series though.  Golden State never really had a chance did they?  They were out-rebounded all series, and again last night (59-35), out assisted, played with little to no poise, hoisted up 3 after 3, out-coached, missed free throws, and were just flat out not as good as Utah.  Why did Don Nelson just SIT on the bench with his head in his hands as Steven Jackson imploded last night?  Everyone in the nation could see it coming…..you’re gonna tell me his coach didn’t see it coming?  I’d have had his ass on the sidelines and been in his ear; instead, Nelson left the policing to the other players on the court (Mostly Monta Ellis).  I know they were playing zone to neutralize the inside presence of Utah, but really; how many big shots did Fisher need to hit before the Warriors realized not to double off him?

Heck of a run by the Warriors, but it just so happened they matched up PERFECTLY with the Dallas Mavericks.  Dallas, with no interior offensive punch, and a 7 foot offensive go to guy that wants to roam the perimeter.    It was the perfect recipe for an upset.  Now, the honeymoon is over.  Golden State will be back next year, sure.  If they are healthy, they’ll win 45 or so games, and sneak into the playoffs as a 6-8 seed.  Maybe they’ll get Dallas again in the 1st round and advance again?  Otherwise, with this nucleus, they’ll be one and done.  Utah awaits the winner of Stu Antonio vs. Phoenix.

Throughout his NBA career Robert Horry (aka Big Shot Bob) has made his name hitting big shots throughout his NBA career. Last night, he hit perhaps his biggest shot ever. During game 4 of the West Semis, Horry leveled the Suns Steve Nash in the games closing moments of a game the Suns were locking up.

Pretty big hit by Horry, in what has been a series full of big hits from the Spurs. It has now become a big deal as the Suns reaction to the hit has gotten two of their better players suspended for pivotal Game 5. Boris Diaw and Amare Stoudemire have both been suspended for Game 5 of the series for “leaving the bench area”. Robert Horry was suspended 2 games for a flagrant 2 foul (Rightfully so). NBA Vice President of Operations, Stu Jackson (This is the guy that makes suspensions) commented on the suspensions saying “This is a very unfortunate circumstance. No one here at the league office wants to suspend players any game, much less a pivotal game in the second round of a playoff series. But the rule, however, is the rule, and we intend to apply it consistently.”

Ok, I get it. I understand the rule. The rule has its place in the game. However, this isn’t what this rule was intended to stop. As with every rule there should be a gray area that leaves it open to some type of interpretation. Everything cannot be so black and white. Yeah, Diaw and Stoudemire left the bench. However, they never made it to the altercation, and in fact, quickly retreated. Yes, I know they retreated with a little help from the coaching staff. Also, the Suns contended that the players were just going to the scorers table. Of course, everyone on earth knows this wasn’t true, but it is a possibility; one that I really think is impossible to disprove. The NBA has practically hand delivered Game 5 to the Spurs (and probably the entire series) by punishing the Suns for an altercation that the Spurs started. THIS IS CRAZY! I’ve been working all day so I have no idea how the mainstream media has reacted to this, so maybe I stand alone in my opinion.

Stu Jackson, I’d like to thank you for royally screwing up this series.

Update: Apparently, the new thing floating around is why wasn’t Tim Duncan suspended. Duncan left the bench area in the 2nd quarter as it looked like tempers were about to flare. I have to say I agree with this. If you are going to suspend Diaw and Stoudemire because a “rule is a rule” then you must suspend Duncan for violating the rule as well.

I’ll provide a few quick links as to how some other blogs are calling this:

God Hates The Suns And The NBA Can Go To Hell (100% Injury Rate)

Will Tim Duncan Be Suspended (The Big Lead)

Phoenix Got The Calls (True Hoop)

Finally, a tribute to Horry:

Once you get a couple of posts in your honor, you are elevated to category status. Say hello to Bruce Bowen, in the news last week for his kick to Amare Stoudemire’s Achilles, he has now aimed for a much more sensitive area; Steve Nash’s groin.

Bruce Bowen Catches Steve Nash In The Nads

The NBA finally decided to “take a look” at Bowen’s style of play. After looking at the play the league has insisted that Bowen will not be suspended for game 4, calling the shot to the groin a “flagrant 1″ foul.

Yeah, this is good news for the Spurs. Bowen hasn’t been suspended. However, it’s bad news for the Spurs that the league is actually giving credibility to the complaints on Bowen. Dude is gonna be watched like a hawk from here on out, I’m saying it now: This whole Bruce Bowen mess is going to lead to MAJOR DRAMA before these playoffs are concluded. I also believe David Stern and Stu Jackson read my site.

 

After losing to Utah 115-101 last night, the Golden State Warriors are now looking at a 3-1 series deficit as they travel back to Utah.  A little composure, and they would be holding a 3-1 advantage.  The Warriors totally blew game 2 of the series, missing 3 key free-throws and turning the ball over down the stretch.  Last night, Baron Davis & Company were at it again, this time missing 13 free-throws and breaking down defensively in a game that was MUCH closer than the score indicates.

Utah is obviously the better team.  The Jazz run a well oiled system, methodically getting the ball into Carlos Boozer in the post.  Golden State, as Coach Don Nelson put it, “has no plan B”.  They run and shoot 3’s until the wheels fall off.  Nice concept, and it actually works from time to time…..add a little bit of focus and control to the mix and they would have won last night.  As the Warriors began to fall into a hole last night they immediately began hoisting up bad 3’s, missing free-throws, and losing their cool.  Baron Davis missed 2 key free throws and elbowed Derek Fisher; Jason Richardson hoisted up bad 3 after bad 3 and slammed Okur as he went in for a late game dunk; Matt Barnes heaved up a couple off balance NO CHANCE type 3 pointers.  The Warriors need to understand…as a playoff game moves past the 6 minute mark in the 4th quarter, each and every possession  becomes important.  They are an athletic team.  Keep attacking the rim.  Get to the free-throw line and actually make your free throws.  Play with composure.  It’s time to shut the whirling derby down during the 4th quarter of close games.  Only then will they be able to finish.

It won’t matter.  This series is over.  Golden State is beaten, tired, and demoralized.  They’ve gone to the well one to many times and come up empty.  Utah finishes this series out at home, 4-1.  Oh, and I hate to finish this post up without mentioning this guy; Derek Fisher has been flat out amazing.

I’ve had some issues with the Spurs for several years. I’ve always thought Tim Duncan was incredibly whiny and that Manu Ginobili played out of control on purpose; with the intention of catching someone in the nads with one of his flailing legs. In my opinion the Spurs are boring to watch and have always pushed the envelope in regard to playing too rough. I’d never given much thought to Bruce Bowen. My opinion of him was over-rated defender/decent spot up 3 point shooter, especially from the corners.

Now you know my original stance on this topic.

By now you’ve probably heard that Amare Stoudemire has accused Bruce Bowen of intentionally kicking him in the Achilles. He has also gone as far to say that the Spurs are a dirty team. You might have even seen the replay on ESPN and thought that it was kinda tough to tell what Bowen’s actual intent was on that play. Maybe he just slipped. Well, the power of YouTube has come to the rescue, just in time to show that Bruce Bowen probably didn’t slip. In fact, when you take Bowen’s action in the context of his previous behavior, you get the idea that this is what he does. Bruce Bowen IS a dirty player:

First, lets take a look at the play in question involving Amare Stoudemire:

Yeah, it’s really hard to tell if Bowen intentionally stuck that right leg out there. He could have just been slipping. Let’s dive a little deeper into Bruce Bowen.

Ok, not sure if you’ve ever ran at a jump shooter but I’ve never done a sideways split causing me to awkwardly land in the landing area of the shooter. Yeah, you can call it getting up into a shooters face, but it looks more like Bowen is trying to take away the shooters landing space….with his own feet, which is terribly dangerous. The easiest way to tear up an ankle or other joint is by landing on someone’s foot. Still not convinced?

Once again, Bowen has that “what’d I do?” look on his face. Bowen knows exactly what he did and Carter’s reaction was the proper one. There is nothing wrong with playing great defense but playing dirty is a different story. Go to your local court and play some pickup basketball. The first time the guy that you are guarding shoots a jump shot do the Bruce Bowen move, placing your feet right under the jump shooters feet. Then do it again. If you can do it a third time. Someone is either going to get hurt, or get into a fight.

It’s really a shame that Bruce Bowen uses this move. He is a fantastic overall defender. Every time his name is brought up in conversation now someone will say…”oh yeah, Bruce Bowen is dirty”. Fact is, they’d be right. These videos are only a small sample of the guy’s antics. I respect someone for playing good defense but I’m also a bit old school when it comes to basketball. I don’t care for grind it out games where defenders are allowed to use all kinds of body to slow down offensive players. Stoudemire has just added a huge element of drama to the Suns/Spurs series, which is currently tied at a game each. Also, you have to wonder if Bowen is going to have to “watch himself” now. The league knows what he’s doing as do the fans and players. You can bet there will be some complaining going on the first time he lands under a shooters foot. The series will resume tomorrow at 8 pm, on ABC.

Dirty Play in the NBA? Not Much Anymore (MSNBC)